The Last of Us: Old Relations
by SPARTAN-G117
Summary: Daniel has been living peacefully at the dam in Jackson Country for ten years. But that all changes when a group of Fireflies arrives at the perimeter. (Not Alone Sequel)
1. Prologue

"Daniel, is it really you?"

"Yeah its me."

 **FOUR YEARS LATER**

The ranch that Ellie and I had been tasked to search was not far from the dam that we called home.

"I'll take upstairs." I announced.

"Ok."

The place was nice, unlike most other buildings across the country, it was clean besides a few bloodstains from a fight that happened six years earlier.

I walked into what was obviously a teenage girl's bedroom. Pink walls, made bed, cushions on the window sill, _Dawn of the Wolf_ posters on the wall. A small box was on a bedside table that caught my eye. I opened it to find two identical, golden rings. I pocketed them just in case.

"You find anything, Dan." She yelled up the stairs.

"No, nothing." I yelled back.

"Ok, should we head back?"

"No, not yet. Its not often we get privacy." I ran down the stairs to find Ellie waiting for me.

"You're not wrong." She kissed me.

"Mmmmmm, your lips taste good." She laughed at my playful remark as I kissed her back.

We returned to the dam a couple of hours ago and we were in its recently converted mess hall filled with other members of the six year old township. I was eating with Ellie beside me and I was contemplating about the pair of rings in my pocket.

 _Should I? What if she says no? I'll be embarrassed in front of every body, Joel, Tommy, Maria, but then._ I thought to my self. _Fuck it._ I concluded as I swallowed the last mouth full of food and stood up with my hand clasping the rings tightly in my pocket.

"Ah, I have an announcement to make." I started as the room fell silent. "And it involves the one person in the world that I feel at home with. The one person who has saved my life. The one person who I love."

I noticed that Ellie was watching eagerly, as if she knew what I was going to do.

I knelt down on one, held out the pair of identical rings and asked the question that has been on my mind for what seemed an eternity. "Ellie, will you marry me?"

I knelt there waiting for her make one of the largest decisions of her lifetime.

"Daniel, if there was anyone that I would spend the rest of my life with," She paused for a few seconds that felt like a lifetime, "it would be you!" She jumped up at me and hugged me tightly as the crowd cheered.


	2. Part 1: Summer, Chapter 1

**PART 1: SUMMER**

* * *

 **SIX YEARS LATER**

It was my turn to patrol the wall surrounding the dam to watch the forest for bandits or infected. It was a boring job but it had to be done. After all I had a wife and a four year old son to look after.

"Hey Daniel," my 30 year old friend, Lucas, called, "clicker."

"What do you want me to take care of it?" I pulled my rifle off my shoulder and we swapped positions.

"That would be nice, you'd probably wouldn't miss."

"I won't."

I put the rifle up to my shoulder aimed at the clicker's fungus covered face and squeezed the trigger. The .308 round punctured the fungal armour, passed through its head and fell over dead.

"Nice shot."

A few hours passed when I noticed something in the corner of my eye trying to hide behind a tree. He wore a dark yellow outfit with his face covered by a gas mask and seemed to be holding an assault rifle. I instinctively crouched out of sight and moved towards Lucas.

"We got fireflies."

"Shit, what would they want with us?"

"I don't know, just get Maria or Tommy here now, I'll hold em up if they get close."

I returned to the position I vacated a minute ago and watched as the rebel cautiously approached the gate below me.

"It seems clear." He called as Maria arrived with a few other survivors, Joel included.

More fireflies appeared as Maria stood up and aimed at the first one's head as we followed suit at any others we could see.

"Drop your gun," Maria shouted to the firefly below, "and tell your buddies to do the same."

"We're not looking for trouble," he started, "We're looking for a man who massacred half of the men at the hospital in Salt Lake City."

"Shit," I heard Joel curse to himself.

"And I'm looking for my son." He pulled off his mask to reveal a face I hadn't seen in twenty years.

"Holy shit, Dad?" I called out.

"Daniel!"

"We don't usually welcome fireflies into our little town but I guess we could make an exception for my surrogate nephew just give your weapons to me." Maria stated.

"That's fine with me," dad replied, as long as I get to spend some tine with my son."


	3. Chapter 2

"So what happened at Salt Lake City?" Ellie asked my father.

"Well this crazy man delivered this immune girl to us so we could produce a vaccine to the infection that we now live with. But when he learned that we would have to remove the girl's brain and kill her to do it he killed everybody who stood in his way to get to her. Including our queen, Marlene."

"Oh shit."

I knew what happened at Salt Lake, Joel told me, I never told Ellie because I was afraid of what she would do. And she was all I had left at the time.

"So who's in charge now?" Ellie retained her interest of the rebel group.

"I am. I have been for a couple of years now."

"I should leave you two to your reunion."

"Where have you been for the last two decades?" I asked him.

"I've been looking for the light. Looking for you. I've been worried since I left you at that military school but I can see I shouldn't have been."

"You left me with nothing."

"Daniel."

"You don't even know what has happened in my life since then. Dad, I nearly died ten years ago, twice, I got married, had a kid, got a home and what have you done? You left me and disappeared to join some group of rebels that has killed more innocent people than its saved."

"I done that so when you grew up you wouldn't have to worry about the infected."

"Well guess what, I got bitten in a tunnel under Salt Lake ten years ago," I pulled my sleeve up to show him the bite, "I haven't turned yet, nor has Ellie. Neither will your grandson."

"Ellie, Ellie's the name of the girl who was stolen form us by that man. Then that man must be here." He stood up.

"And that man has been more as a fatherly figure to me than you will ever be. Now I need to talk to my wife about this mess you made." I marched off to the house Tommy and Maria gave us and entered it to find my four year old son standing there staring at me with the same green eyes as his mother.

"Hello daddy."

"Hey kiddo, where's your mother?"

"She's upstairs with uncle Joel."

"Thanks mate." I jogged up down the hall towards the bedroom Ellie and I shared together I could hear them arguing.

"You lied to me!"

"Ellie, I done it because."

"I don't want to know why. That doesn't change the fact that you lied to me."

"I didn't want to lose you. You're the reason I'm still fightin' to survive."

I walked into the small room to see Joel just in the door way and Ellie standing on the other side of the room.

"Did you know about this?"

"Ellie, I did."

"Then why didn't you fucking tell me."

"I was afraid that you would leave John and I, your family. I wouldn't be able to go on without you."

"You wouldn't have known what I would do. I could have stayed if I wanted to."

"But I didn't want to risk it."

"Look, Daniel, I love you, more than anything, but there are some things that need to be done. And finding a cure is one of them." We embraced each other.

"I love you." Was all I could get out of my mouth.

"I need, I need time to think this over. Alone."

I looked back as I walked through the door way to see that Ellie sit on the bed and stare out the window overlooking the dam.


	4. Chapter 3

I woke up to see John's green eyes.

"Where's mummy?"

"She should be right he…" I sat up and noticed Ellie's position in the bed empty. "Ellie!"

I ran out to the kitchen to find a note, with Ellie's hand writing, on the wooden bench top. It read.

 _Daniel,_

 _I'm sorry you had to find out this way but I have to do this._

 _For all of us._

 _If you love me you would let me go._

 _I've done it for you._

 _Love you Ellie._

"Shit, shit, shit." I repeated each word accompanied with a fist hitting the table.

"What's wrong?" Joel joined the conversation.

"Read it." I replied as I pointed at the note and walked back to my bedroom.

I opened the closed and grabbed my equipment. The jury rigged bag, the 30 year old rifle, the hand made bow, the customized 9mm pistol and my father's knife.

"Joel, I'm going after her."

"Can I come daddy?"

"No, son, its not safe. I want you to stay here with Joel."

I walked towards the dam's main gate, leading a horse, when Joel stopped me.

"You sure you want to do this alone? You should take Lucas or..."

"Joel, I need to do this my self, she's my wife, not yours, not Lucas's." I mounted the horse. "Besides, I've survived long enough on my own before."

Before Joel could reply I was already galloping away, to the city where I nearly became a walking corpse.

Salt Lake City.


	5. Chapter 4

It was so much faster than walking. I made it to Colorado in just over a week. The place has some good good memories and some terrible ones.

I rode to the mall where I found Ellie tending to a wounded Joel ten years ago. Only this time I'm alone, I'm not freezing my ass off and its getting dark. I opened a shop door I found in the darkness and inside was what Ellie and I left behind. A blood stained mattress, an empty med kit and a few spent casings.

I tied the horse up because I didn't want to lose another one of Tommy's horses again. He wouldn't let me off for a second time. I wandered around to the back entrance of the store and found some spare ammunition along with a small supply of food. I took my bag off and started filling it with the supplies when I noticed a corpse in a blue uniform lying against the wall.

"Shit." I cursed as I pulled out my pistol and pointed it at the soldier's deformed head.

I calmed down when I noticed his skeletal corpse fused to the wall and I wondered why there weren't any spores when I looked up and a window open. I searched his corpse and found an assault rifle fused to its owner by the fungus.

I fell on my backside as a ripped the rifle free only to find six rounds in the magazine. Disappointed, I shoved my hand into the corpses ruined vest hoping to find more ammo for the powerful rifle. No luck on ammo but I did find a grenade and some 9mm rounds. Better than nothing.

 _Click, click, click._

I stopped, dreading the distinctive click I just heard behind me. I drew my knife and picked up a glass bottle off the shelf. The clicker was standing in the door way staring at me. If it had eyes I would be a dead man. I threw the can over its shoulder it smashing on the ground in the main store. The clicker turned to the sound clicking like crazy, I took this opportunity to stand up, grab it in a choke hold and sink my knife into its throat. I searched the corpse of the clicker to find it wearing similar apparel to the dead military guy in the store room. He had more equipment than his friend but the only ammo he had was too big to fit in any of my weapons. Biggest bullets I ever seen.

"What were you doing with such large rounds?" I said as I examined them. ".50 BMG?"

I pocketed them despite their uselessness to me. Might find something that uses them. I heard more infected off in the distance so I decided to leave the mall. I slowly crept to the horse and untied it hoping not to alert any more clickers. I opened the door as quietly as I could, mounted the horse and trotted out at a quick pace.


	6. Chapter 5

I whistled happy birthday to my self while riding down the off ramp of a free way into a bus depot. I've been gone for a couple of months now. Left June 6 its now August 14. Only the horse as company. Just like old times in Pittsburgh. Only now I don't have to worry about hiding. I have to worry about a runaway wife. I shivered as I trotted down into the tunnel where I was bitten and infected. If I was lucky there wouldn't be any infected roaming the tunnels.

There weren't any infected that I could see but there was a shit ton of spores filling the area. Hoping I was immune to them I kept going. Seeing the culprits still there after ten years. Still dead, still infected, still dangerous enough to kill anyone who wasn't immune.

 _We're making too much noise here._ As I thought this a clicker grabbed the horses neck and sunk its teeth into it, killing it in the process.

"Shit." I cursed as it fed on the mammal's fresh corpse. It shifted its attention to me as I heard more infected nearby. My only chance of survival was to run deeper into the tunnel towards the hospital where the fireflies were.

I reached the fire truck that blocked the tunnel and started climbing the ladder that thankfully was still there. I kicked it back down on top of the mass of infected chasing me. I took a breather from the mad dash to the ladder noticing a pile of fungus that must have been the stalker that bit me.

"Fucking bastard." Out of rage I emptied the assault rifle into it's corpse and threw it into the horde bellow me.

I continued down the tunnel with the water getting deeper and deeper. I wondered how Joel and Ellie must have gotten this far with Ellie's lack of swimming ability.

Eventually I reached an area where there were rapids flowing down the tunnel and no way across it. There was no way I was going back the way I came, so I closed my eyes and stepped into the freezing torrent. I must be bloody lucky, I survived long enough for the water to slow down and level out. I swam towards the light I saw at the end of the tunnel as my lungs burned for air.

I exploded to the surface gasping for air. I managed to crawl out of the water and on to solid ground where I lay on my back exhausted. I heard footsteps nearby. They were too organised to be infected. If I had any doubts they were lost when the distinctive click of a round being chambered in a rifle sounded. There were two of them.

"May I ask what a random is doing all the way out here?" A female voice asked.

I noticed the yellow arm band with the firefly insignia on it.

"I'm looking for the light."

"Then you found the right place."


	7. Chapter 6

It seems that the fireflies had managed to keep St Mary's Hospital operational for the past ten years and it was their main location for finding a cure. But neither Ellie or my father were here.

"What were you looking for?" The firefly in charge of the hospital asked me.

"My father."

"And who might that be?"

"Your leader."

"He's not here. He's headed to Vegas the last time I saw him here."

"Where's Vegas."

"Not far. South West of the city. Just take the highway out of the south of the city and it'll lead you right to it."

"Ok. Thanks."

"And since you're the son of Rob I can give you a car. If you can drive it."

"Yeah, that would be goddam brilliant." I recalled the time Joel taught me how to drive a manual.

"Ah, Michelle, just the person I was looking for." The firefly leader pulled over the firefly who found me at the tunnel.

"What's up?" She replied.

"Our friend here is looking for our top head."

"And what do I have to do with this."

"You wanted to go to Vegas right. This is your opportunity."

"To go with him." She gestured towards me with a look of disappointment on her face.

"Yep."

"Very well. When did you want to head off then." She looked at me.

"Now."

"Ok. I'll be down there in a minute."


	8. Chapter 7

Michelle was young for a firefly. Eighteen. She wasn't Ellie but I had someone to talk to. I was driving and she was staring out of the window.

"So, any thoughts of the fireflies?" I asked.

"Well they seem nice people. I mean they are looking for a cure, for the good of humanity, and they don't murder anyone who they find outside of their little quarantine zones."

"So you like them?"

"I guess you could say that."

We kept driving south towards Vegas. Towards Ellie.

"Have you killed anyone before?" She asked me.

I took time to collect my thoughts," More than I can remember," I replied.

"Any fireflies?"

"I've only killed when my life or someone close's life was in danger."

"So you have?"

"No, I have not killed a firefly and I'm not planning to."

Eventually a city loomed in the distance and we passed a sign reading _Las Vegas_. We were close. I just hope I'll get there in time.

Surprisingly the roads were relatively clear for a decent sized city. But they weren't my problems.

"Argh, come on." I slammed my hands on the steering wheel as the car shuddered to a halt.

"Can you fix it?"

"Just because I know how to drive a car doesn't mean I know how to fix it."

"So I guess we're walking then."

"No other choice. Do you know where they are?"

"Yeah one of they've converted one of the old casinos into a working clinic and headquarters."

"Alright, got every thing?"

"Yep."

"Then lets get going before anything shows up."


	9. Chapter 8

It didn't take long for us to reach the repurposed casino. Slots machines piled in a corner, cashier turned into a small armoury, and a spray painted sign painted next to a staircase leading to the clinic I was told about.

"She ready?" I heard some one ask.

"Yes she's been drugged and she's ready to go."

"Good. I'll get started."

"No you don't." I jumped into the conversation.

"And who the hell do you think you are."

"Her bloody husband," I was getting angry, "And his bloody son." I pointed at my father's back who I spotted out of the corner of my eye.

"Daniel? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get my wife."

"It's too late for that."

"What do you mean 'its too late'?"

"She's already been drugged and is being prepped for surgery."

"But they haven't started." I was already running up the stairs to the clinic.

"Daniel! Stop!"

I burst into one of the hotel rooms that had been fitted for surgery finding it empty. I continued down the hall way looking in room after room not finding her. There was one door left. I could hear a heart beat monitor beeping inside. Knowing that I could be too late I calmly opened the door to see three surgeons standing around a bench. One with a bone saw in his hand lowering it onto Ellie's head.

Out of instinct I drew my 9mm and loudly clicked off the safety and aimed it at the head surgeon's head.

"Don't you dare." The surgeon froze as the blade touched Ellie's scalp.

"Daniel. Lower the weapon. Lower the weapon son."

"No. I've lost so much and I'm not about to lose the person I care about most." I didn't even turn around to meet my father's voice.

"This isn't about you. This isn't about her. Its about the entire human race. Daniel, if we find out what happened to her we might just find a cure. She'll save the world."

"You seriously think that you can convince me."

"Well if I can't. I'll have to force you to leave."

"But if you try Dr Surgeon is going to have to preform brain surgery on himself."

I was grabbed in a choke hold before I could react and the bullet hit the ceiling. The firefly that had me in his grasp was dragging me towards the door of the room. I wasn't going to give up that easily. I fumbled in my pocket for the grenade. I grabbed it and pulled the pin. The firefly instantly let go as he noticed the explosive drop to the ground. I rolled it through the door with my foot and I dived to the ground.

"Shit grena-" The warning came to late as shrapnel shredded the walls.

As the sound subsided I picked my pistol back up and jumped at the operating table where Ellie miraculously lay unscathed. I disconnected her from the machines and picked up her slim frame.

"We're getting out of here sweet."

I carried her through the door to see my wounded father holding his gut on the ground.

"Daniel, why?"

"She's the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"I'm sorry son, I shouldn't have left you at that military school. Please forgive me."

"I shouldn't but you are forgiven. But I don't want to see you again."

"Very well. "

As he said this a squad of armed fireflies, including Michele ran around the corner.

"Stop. Give us the girl."

"Its alright," My father called, "let him go."


	10. Chapter 9

I carried Ellie, who was still in a hospital gown, to a small gas station in the outskirts of the surprisingly quiet city and carefully placed her in a comfortable position on the ground. I waited for her to wake, keeping an eye and ear out for any sounds or movements. It was quiet , too quiet. And I was tired.

I nearly dozed off when I heard, "Fuck, not again."

"Hey."

"Why? I told you to stay at the dam."

"You promised me that you wouldn't leave me. And you're the reason I'm still alive."

"You should have let me go."

"I love you to much, Ellie." I said as I embraced her.

"And I love you too."

We continued embracing each other for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

"Did you get my stuff?"

"Yeah, here."

"Thanks."

She didn't even wait as she changed into her red long sleeved shirt and jeans.

"Where should we go?" She asked.

"We should go home Ellie. To John, Joel, Lucas."

"Yeah, I'm just worried of what they'll think of me leaving them."

"They'll understand."

"I hope so."

"I know so. Do you want to start heading home or do you want to wait a bit longer for the drugs to wear off completely."

"I-I think I'm alright."

"Shall we be off then?"

"Yeah, lets go before I decide to run off again."


	11. Chapter 10

"Hey, Daniel, isn't that a military truck?"

I looked behind me to see Ellie pointing at a Humvee, flipped onto its roof, on the side of the road.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"Do you think there would be anything worth grabbing?"

"Couldn't hurt to check, besides its probably been stripped clean already."

I walked over to the wreck and wrenched open one of the slightly rusted doors.

"I got the front," I said. I searched every nook and cranny inside the truck but to nothing. No ammunition, no food, no weapons.

"Woah, that's a big fuckin' gun."

"How big?"

"Massive, I bet it could kill a bloater with one shot."

As Ellie said this I remembered the large bullets I found on the dead military guy in Colorado. I climbed out to see her carrying the rifle in both of her hands.

"It looks operational," I took the five rounds out of my bag and started loading them into the beast, "and they fit."

"It's a bit heavy."

"You wanna try it out."

"Uh, that modified .30-06 of yours has enough kick for me, and that thing looks like it'll rip someone's arm off. Not just the guy who gets shot."

"Have you got any rope or something similar?"

"Ah, maybe," she took her bag off and delved into her bag, "here."

I caught the short length of rope she threw my way and tied on end to the barrel and the other on the trigger guard. I looked towards Ellie as I slung it over my shoulder.

"Alright, you ready?"

"Yeah, lets go."


	12. Part 2: Fall, Chapter 11

**Part 2: Fall**

"Hold up Ellie," I grabbed her shoulder ",There's a bloater over there."

"Where?"

"See that car?", I pointed towards a twisted wreck on the desert highway, "Its right behind it."

"Ah, there it is, time to tryout your new toy then."

"Yeah, but I can't hit it from here."

"I'll draw it out then."

"Ok, but you be bloody care full. I didn't come out here to get you only for you to get killed by a fucking bloater."

"I got a Molotov and my pistol. I'll be fine," She said as she ran off towards the fungus covered abomination.

I pulled the .50 off my shoulder and set it on the ground and aimed down the sights.

"C'mon Ellie," I said to myself.

"There we go," I saw the bloater walk out from behind the car, chasing Ellie, molotov in hand. I placed the crosshairs on the monstrosity's fungus covered head and squeezed the trigger.

"Shit!" I screamed in agony as the rifle exploded in my arms, peppering them with shattered parts of the weapon, "I should've fucking known! You stupid idiot."

I didn't feel the pain but rather the anger of making a stupid mistake. I then remembered Ellie who was waiting for me to kill the bloater.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit," I picked up my .30-06 and started popping off shots at it while moving closer. Hopefully Ellie would take the hint and throw the cocktail to burn off its fungal armour. She did hitting it square on the chest, burning it alive. It threw a pod of toxins at her and the resulting explosion threw her to the ground. The bloater started walking towards her and I fired the last round in the magazine at its blackened head. It missed scraping its shoulder. It reached down to pick her up as I loaded a single round into the breach and fired. I closed my eyes not wanting to see what would happen if I missed. I heard Ellie scream which suddenly stopped.

I opened my eyes again and saw a dead bloater, no sign of Ellie. I ran towards the corpse calling her name. I saw her legs stuck underneath the charred bloater.

"Fuck, get this thing off of me," she said as she noticed me.

"I'm on it," I replied as we rolled the infected off her.

"Shit, Daniel, your arms."

Only then did I feel the blood oozing from my arms.

"I'm fine. Fucking rifle exploded in my hands."

"It doesn't look like it," she took a couple of bandages out of her bag and started wrapping them around my arms.

"You ok?"

"Other than having the shit scared out of me, yeah I'm fine."

"That makes two of us. And don't ever do that again."


	13. Chapter 12

It has been a couple of weeks since the incident with the bloater and nothing much happened on the road back to Salt Lake. If we were lucky we would get back to the dam by winter. If we were lucky.

"We'll have to circle around the city Ellie."

"Why's that?"

"I don't really want another run in with the fireflies and besides there's now way we are going to get through the tunnel."

"Stil,l flooded?"

"Yep, not to mention a shit ton of infected."

"I thought we killed all of them."

"Either we didn't or some unlucky bastards walked in there."

We started walking around the city towards the highway on the other side that led to Colorado and from there back to the dam.

"What do you want to call our second child?" Ellie asked out of nowhere.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ellie, don't get a head of yourself," I replied.

"I'm just curious."

"Well what would you call it?"

"Riley."

"Why's that?"

"I told you about Riley right."

"The other person you were with when you got bit?"

"Yeah," I noticed a look of sadness on her face, "Daniel, before I met you she was the only person I loved. And I mean truly loved."

"Tell you what, if we do have another kid. We can call it Riley."

"Thank you, Daniel," she said as she hugged me from behind.

"I would do any thing for you, sweetie."

"And that's one of the reasons why I love you," I just smiled as I held her hands on my chest.

"C'mon, lets get home."


	14. Chapter 13

It started raining just as we made it back to the bus depot the next day.

"Good timing," I noted as I closed the door.

"You have any food?" Ellie asked me, "I'm starving."

I put my bag down on a table and opened it looking for something to eat.

"Here," I tossed her a can of food.

"Thanks, want some?" she said as she pried the can open and started eating its contents.

"Nah, I'm good."

"You sure?" she asked mouth half full.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I chuckled.

"More for me then."

I left my bag on the table and dived on the nearby couch, "Its been a while since I've rested on something decent."

"Do you want me to take the first watch then?" she asked before tossing away the empty can.

"If you want to."

"Ok," she said as I closed my eyes trying to get to sleep.

I woke up a few hour later with Ellie shaking my shoulder, whispering in my ear, "Hey, hey, someone's here."

"Who?"

"A firefly."

"Shit. We need to go."

"Daniel? Are you in there?" I familiar female voice called.

"Michelle?"

"Thank god I found you," she said as the drenched firefly climbed through a window.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"I was sent with a group of fireflies to find you and bring you back to Vegas. They're all dead and I don't want to be a firefly anymore. I want to get away from here, start again."

"How can I trust you?"

"Daniel, does this seem familiar to you?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, when Sam and Henry died," I replied, "When I revealed myself."

"We let you come with us. We trusted you enough."

"But she's a firefly."

"And you could have been a hunter."

"Very well," I turned to the eighteen year old, "You can come, but give me your guns. And don't ever leave either Ellie's or my side."


	15. Chapter 14

"Where are we headed any way?"

"A dam out Jackson country," Ellie replied.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, we're apart of a small community there."

"And you do realise we are headed towards Colorado."

"Yeah."

"And do you realise there's a shorter way."

"And what would that be?" I asked.

"We head east to Cheyenne then south to Albuquerque east from there to Oklahoma then south to Dallas then head east to Jackson. Easy."

"How do you know this?"

"All new fireflies have to learn how to read maps and I just happen to remember the map we used."

"Ellie?"

"Well if it gets us home faster."

"Do you know which way to go?" I asked the firefly.

"Well we continue down this road until we reach Cheyenne."

"Ok then, if we get lost I'm blaming you," I said as I turned back along the road.

"That's reasonable."

"Hey, Cheyenne," Ellie said with enthusiasm as we passed a green sign reflecting the light of a setting sun.

"Where to now Michelle?" I asked as I turned around to face the two women.

"Keep going and we should see another highway passing through the town. It'll tell us where to go."

"Ok then."

We eventually made it to the centre of town which had two highways crossing each other with cars and busses strewn about everywhere.

"Evacuation? Evacuation to where?" I asked as I read a sign on the side of the road.

"Joel said that some people got warning before the infection reached them."

"Really? I thought it all happened on one night."

"No, it took a few days," an unfamiliar voice said as I placed my hand on my pistol, "Now give us all your food, water and weapons. Or we take 'em by force."

I looked up and noticed a handful of survivors pointing guns at us from roof tops and windows. They reminded me of hunters but at least they didn't shoot on sight.

"C'mon, we don't have all day," another one called.

"Can we just talk this out?" Michelle asked.

"I've got a better idea," a bandit called as he approached us, "We should take the girls, and kill him."

"You don't want to do that," I replied as he kept edging towards Ellie who looked at me, her face strewn with worry. I noticed the switchblade in her hand.

"Hello, beautiful," he said as he grabbed Ellie who in turn plunged the knife into his thigh, "son of a bitch!"

I pulled my pistol out of my back pocket and shot the guy who originally stopped us as his buddies opened fire or ran at us with pipes and 2X4s, "Michelle get down!"

She did so as Ellie killed the guy with all the ideas and I shot another charging us with a plank of wood. I saw an empty alley way and pointed at it, "C'mon, lets get outta here!"

I waited for the girls to run down it before I followed, shots coming after me. Another alley came onto the one I was in and I saw Ellie unconscious on the ground with no sign of Michelle. I ran to her rolled her over and saw a large bruise on her forehead. I tightened my grip on my pistol and scanned the area to my right and saw nothing. Maybe she tripped and smacked her head on the ground? I realised to late that she didn't as I saw a man armed with a pipe swing at my head as everything I knew turned to black.


	16. Chapter 15

I woke up in a small room with nothing but the clothes I was wearing and a massive headache. The room was barren bar one small window near the ceiling, light flooding through it. I saw Ellie slumped in a corner her chest rising with each breath. I moved closer to her and sat beside her. Her eyes opened and made contact with mine as she hugged me.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Other than having a massive headache, I'm fine."

"Same here."

"So you're awake," the bandit who caught me off guard said as he stood in the door, "How are our little love birds?"

"Fuck off," I replied.

"Naughty, Naughty, you shouldn't use that language young man. It could get you in trouble," he tapped a baseball bat in his hands and paced towards me as the door was locked behind him, "Tell me where the other one is, or I'll make your death incredibly more painful then it could be."

I remembered Michelle as he said this. I had no idea where she was or what she was doing. For all I know she could've run off and disappeared.

"I don't know," I said.

"Wrong answer," he said as he pried me off Ellie and slammed me into a wall. I tasted blood in my mouth.

"Please stop, if he doesn't know he doesn't know," Elli e pleaded.

"Shut up bitch," he replied in anger as he slapped her to the floor and started strangling her.

"Leave her alone!" I yelled as I kicked him off her causing her to cough uncontrollably. He then tried to do the same to me.

I heard a gunshot on the other side of the door followed by yelling. More shots went off and footsteps sounded at the door.

"Key, where's the key, c'mon," it was Michelle, "There."

She opened the door and saw the bandit strangling me. I lost feeling in my arms and legs as she shot him, splattering his blood and brains on the wall.

"You ok?" she asked me as they heaved the body off me.

"Took you long enough," I replied exhausted.

"They knocked Ellie out, I tried to warn you but they chased me away and when I got back you two were being dragged away."

"At least you found us," Ellie commented.

"Your stuff is on a bench straight outside the door, here," Michelle held out pistol she used to kill the bandits.

"No, you keep it. You've earned it and my trust."

"Daniel? Can we get out of here now?" Ellie asked sounding scared.

"Yeah, we'll get our stuff and lets go."


	17. Chapter 16

We were twenty meters away from the store where Ellie and I were held when I heard yells behind us followed by a couple of shots.

"Run," I said as I started sprinting.

"Kill 'em!" somebody shouted behind us.

"In here," I said as I held open an old dumpster around a corner.

We got in the dark metal box and stayed quiet. I noticed Ellie nudge close to me as they ran past. I placed one hand over her and pointed my recovered pistol at the lid.

"I think they're gone," Michelle whispered.

"Let go, Ellie, I'll need free hands. Hold the lid open with Michelle."

I drew my knife and lifted the lid with the other hand. More footsteps sounded along with wheezing. The old man stopped in front of the dumpster in clear view. He looked a lot like Joel, greying hair, muscular body. He must have been alive before the infection. He sat against the dumpster his head right below me. I grabbed him and plunged the knife into his neck.

"C'mon, lets go," I said as I jumped out.

"Fucking hell Daniel," Michelle said as she stepped in the bandit's pool of blood, "I just got these shoes."

"Well you should watch where you step then."

"So which way do we go now?" Ellie asked the obvious.

"This way," Michelle said as she ran down another alley.

Eventually we reached the intersection we were originally ambushed at.

"Which way Michelle?" I asked hurriedly, "They've probably found their dead buddy."

"I'm working on it," she replied as she wiped the dust of a sign.

"What was that?" Ellie asked.

"What was what?" I replied.

"Sounds like a truck."

"Shit. Michelle."

"That way," she pointed down a car filled road.

I looked behind us and saw a bright yellow vehicle wit large shovel, flanked by bandits, ploughing cars and busses out of the way.

"What the fuck is that?"

"I don't know and I don't want to," Ellie replied seeing the behemoth.

A rifle cracked and a bullet ricocheted off the ground and hit me in the shin.

"Argh, shit," I yelled as I started limping away, "It's always fucking me."

"Put your weight on me," Ellie demanded as she slipped under my arm, "Michelle, give me a hand."

The girls managed to pick me up and jog away from the vehicle as I pulled a pistol out of a section of Ellie's bag. I fired back at the tracked giant the bullets ricocheting off the plough ever edging closer.

"C'mon, faster," I said.

"You try carrying a grown adult," Michelle replied.

I felt the adrenaline pumping through my body as my hands started to shake. I loaded another magazine into the pistol and counted each time I pulled the trigger. Six shots fired from the seven rounds in the magazine.

"Hold up," I said as I steadied my aim, "I might get lucky."

It wasn't a rifle, it was Ellie's pistol, a weapon I wasn't familiar with. I pointed it at the open cabin and squeezed the trigger. A saw a glimpse of a person falling out as the dozer ploughed its way into a building on the side of the road.

"Fuck yeah," I yelled with enthusiasm as Ellie and Michelle continued down the road.


	18. Chapter 17

"Prop me on that tree," I said a few miles from Cheyenne.

"How's your leg?" Ellie asked as she rolled the bloodied leg of my jeans up.

"Stings like shit."

"Bullet's still inside your leg."

"Got anything to get it out with?"

"No I don't."

"Ah, does anyone have a spare pistol?"

"Why?"

"There's a small spring inside of it."

"Here," Michelle passed me an M1911, "I found two of 'em."

I took the weapon apart, removed the tiny spiral and straightened it out entirely with a small hook on the end.

"Try that," I passed the contraption to Ellie who then proceeded to dig it into the wound.

I grimaced in pain as the chunk of metal was levered out of my leg, "There's the little bastard," Ellie said as she held it in her palm.

Ellie then pulled a small wooden box she used as her medkit and removed a needle and a piece of thread. I reassembled the pistol minus the spring as Ellie stitched my wound and wiped the blood off on a ragged shirt.

"It should still work but you'll have to load each shot individually," I said as I returned the pistol to Michelle.

"Good thing I have a second one."

I rolled up my sleeves of my shirt and inspected the scars from the .50 rifle exploding in my arms.

"Shit," Michelle stated as she started backing off from us, "You're infected."

I forgot about the ten year old bite on my arm, "Don't worry I'm immune."

"Really? Prove it."

"Ten years," I stated, "Its ten years old. Besides when have I had the chance to have got bitten over the last few days? When those bandits held us hostage?"

"This is eleven years," Ellie joined in the argument revealing her bite.

"But I know you're immune. Rob wouldn't have wanted to have your brain removed otherwise."

"That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

"That there are people who are immune out there. Probably more than most people think."

"Ok, but I don't trust it."

"You don't have to," I said annoyed.

"Do you think you'll be able to walk on it?" Ellie asked me, "Cause I'm not carrying you all the way home."

"Maybe," I replied with doubt in my voice, "Could give it a try."

I stood up and lent on the tree keeping my weight on my good leg and slowly started limping towards Ellie who was a few metres away arms open. I continued past her and started down the road.

"You coming or not?"


	19. Chapter 18

It was near the end of the season a couple of months after the dilemmas in Cheyenne and we were on the outskirts of Dallas. Next major town was Jackson and from there Ellie and I knew the way to the dam. To home.

"Planes," Michelle pointed out the rusted wrecks sitting on the airport runway, "I've never seen a plane before."

"Makes two of us," Ellie replied.

"I've seen a helicopter," I said, "Back in Pittsburgh before it went to shit."

"Military?"

"Yep. Only guys who use them."

We entered the terminal through an emergency exit on the back of the building. The inside was dark, damp and some walls were covered with fungal growths.

"Hold up," I said as I turned to Michelle, "Spores."

"Shit, I don't have a mask."

"Wait here. Probably a dead soldier somewhere," I said as I passed Michelle most of my gear.

I ventured into the terminal and started my search. Eventually I reached the skeletal corpse of a soldier. Its clothes weren't the typical blue instead it was various shades of green patterned over it. I removed the mask that covered his skull and checked it for any signs of leaks. It didn't. I returned to the door where Ellie and Michelle were waiting to see Ellie waving at me and pointing down the hallway opposite the direction I came. I stopped as I saw a large group of clickers standing silently for once. I picked up a piece of debris and threw it in their direction. As I expected they all turned towards it and started clicking. I started creeping towards the door being careful of where I placed my feet. I was a few metres from the exit when I stood on a shard of glass. I kept still as one of the monsters started clicking centimetres from my face.

"Oi, mushroom face!" Ellie called, "Come and get us."

The clickers instantly took their attention off me and onto Ellie and Michelle who ran off out onto the runway. I saw the opening and waited for all but one of them to run out and brought it down with my knife. I ran outside and was relieved to see that Michelle left my stuff leaning on a nearby wall. I picked up my rifle, shouldered it and aimed at one of the chasing clickers. I killed it and done the same with two others. I heard the sound of a car on the runway followed by heavy calibre gunshots. I was about to shift my aim towards it but I saw it was shooting the infected not Ellie or Michelle. I kept an eye on the girls as the Humvee parked along side them. They boarded it's open tray and pointed towards me.

"Names Jack," the guy on the gun said, "That's Kyle, doesn't talk much. Good timin' yeah."

"I guess so."

"Your two lady friends tell me you're off to Jackson."

"That is true."

"C'mon, we'll take you to our little settlement and we'll give you what you need and send you on your way," he stated as he held out his hand.

I didn't trust them but they knew this place better than us and they seemed friendly enough. So I accepted his offer and climbed in the back of the military truck.


	20. Chapter 19

"Here we are home sweet home," Jack said as we pulled in to an old military base garage.

"Roomy," Ellie stated as she looked up at the open ceiling illuminated by working lights.

"We got a couple of spare beds there," Jack pointed to a large tent as we disembarked the vehicle, "They're aren't perfect, but they'll do for a night or two."

Kyle drove the truck off to a gas pump and started filling the truck.

"How did you find us?" I asked.

"Heard the gunshots. Figured that they were probably from a group of survivors trying to get through our city. We were right."

"Your city?" Michelle wondered.

"Kyle and I are the only two people left in Dallas. Few years now."

"Dan, have you got anything to eat?" Ellie glanced at me, "I'm starving."

"No, I don't."

"We got plenty of food, fox, squirrel, deer," Jack mentioned as he pointed at a room size freezer, "I'll make a stew later."

"Mmm, sounds good."

"How are we gonna pay you for all this?" I asked.

"We'll find a way. We'll find a way alright. Any way take a seat while Kyle and I prepare the meat for that stew I promised. And would one of you be kind enough to light that fire."

"I'll do it," I said as the Michelle sat on an old camp chair and Ellie on an old couch while I lit the already set up fire, "They're organised. I'll give 'em that."

"I don't like them," Michelle said quietly as I sat next to Ellie, "They're too friendly."

"Nor do I," I replied, "But we might be dead now if it weren't for them. I didn't like the look of that airport."

"I think they're all alright," Ellie stated, "Besides were only gonna be here one night before we set off to Jackson."

"Good point, sweetie."

Ellie placed her bag on her lap and started rummaging through it.

"What are you looking for?" Michelle asked.

"You'll see," her face lit up as she found what she was looking for, "Ah ha, how do you like puns?"

"You have a pun book!" Michelle exclaimed as she saw the tattered book.

"Thought it might brighten the mood," she threw the book to Michelle, "Keep it."

Michelle was reading puns for about ten minutes until Jack and Kyle showed up and started cooking. Ellie and I zoned out and focused on each other as we both heard the puns hundreds of times before.

"How's the most beautiful girl in the world goin'?" I whispered.

"Ok. You?"

"When I'm with you, brilliant. When I'm not, lonely."

She kissed me and I returned the gesture.

"Eww," Michelle giggled, "Gross."

"What, haven't you seen some one get kissed before?" Ellie asked seemingly annoyed.

"Get a room," Jack joined Michelle.

"Fine, be that way," Ellie replied as she dragged me off.


	21. Chapter 20

A few hours later we were back at the fire having eaten the stew.

"What meat was that?" Ellie asked.

"Deer, it was deer," Jack replied as Kyle nodded in agreement.

"It didn't taste like it."

"We put spices in it. One good thing about all this vegetation."

"Very well."

"Fuck, its getting cold," Michelle stated.

"Well its that time of year," Jack replied.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it started snowing," I said.

"Well you two would keep each other warm."

Ellie yawned and fell drifted into sleep in my arms.

"Night beautiful."

I was about to fall asleep myself when Kyle stabbed Michelle with a syringe and pumped its contents inside her.

"Hey what the fuck man!" I yelled waking Ellie in the process.

"I told you that you would repay us," Jack said before injecting me, "No hard feelings. Just survival."

Everything went black after I saw Ellie getting knocked out.

* * *

 **Hey guys. Just saying that we're halfway through Old Relations after a month of posting chapters and that this will be double the length of The Last of Us: Not Alone.**


	22. Part 3, Winter: Chapter 21

**PART 3: WINTER**

* * *

I was shivering in the darkness. We were locked inside the freezer. The three of us were huddled close to keep warm. We were there for what seemed an eternity. I shielded my eyes as the door opened revealing human corpses. We had stumbled upon a pair of cannibals.

"C'mon lover boy," Jack said as he pried me off the girls, "How'd you put it the other day? Tiny pieces."

"Fuck you."

He and Kyle pinned me to a nearby table which was stained with blood. Jack picked up a cleaver.

"Wait, I'm infected."

"Bullshit."

"Left fore arm."

He let go of the cleaver and pulled up my sleeve, examining the bite.

"You would have turned by now."

I shot my arm out towards the cleaver and flailed it at Jacks arm causing him to scream in pain. Using the distraction I then kicked Kyle in the groin who then curled in a ball on the ground moaning. I grabbed the keys of Jack and used them to get the girls out of the freezer. I was greeted by Ellie who had Michelle slumped on her shoulder.

"You ok?" I asked her.

"Other than catching fifty colds at once and having the shit scared out of me, I'm ok. The firefly, not so much."

"Give her here and see if you can find our stuff and some warm clothes."

"On it."

"You sick bastard," I turned to the cannibal, "We trusted you."

"You can talk," he replied spitting blood, "That stew, it wasn't deer."

I kicked him in the gut before placing Michelle down and picking up the cleaver.

"Hope you burn in fucking hell."

I slit his wrists wanting him to die a slow death by bleeding out, "Bastard."

"Fucking hell, Daniel," Ellie said as she returned arms full with winter gear, "I've never seen you that brutal."

"He deserved it."

"Here," she said as she passed me my bag and a pair of great coats.

I put on one of the coats and my bag before I slipped Michelle into the other one and picked her up.

"Lead the way."

Ellie nodded as she wandered out into the snow filled landscape and I followed.


	23. Chapter 22

We ventured into the city not knowing where we were going. Eventually we ended up in an office building near the city centre.

"Thank god there aren't any infected around," I said as I placed Michelle on the ground, "I hate those motherfuckers."

"How's she going?"

"She's ok," I said as I sat down on an old office chair, "I think."

"She looks up to you, you know."

"Really?"

"She told me when you went to get the mask. She said that you're an older brother to her."

I took a blanket out of my bag and placed it on top of her before placing my hand on her chest.

"Her heart rate's slow," I stated, "So is her breathing."

"What did Joel call it when you get really cold?"

"When he taught you to swim?"

"Yeah."

"Hypothermia. Gotta get her warm, Ell."

"I'll see if I can get a fire going. Here, you might find something in our bags."

I zipped Ellie's bag open and took out most of her warm clothing and placed them over Michelle before doing the same with hers and my own.

"That should help," I said to her unconscious form, "Ellie, you got that fire yet!"

"I found a gas stove," She said as she ran back, "Still works."

"Where?"

"There's like a whole stash in a room next door. Food, beds, weapons. Looks like its been abandoned for a while now."

She lit the stove and placed a can of beans that she opened on it as I wrapped my jacket around her as she snuggled close to my body.

"I hope Michelle makes it," Ellie said quietly, "She's been through a lot and she doesn't deserve it."

"None of us deserve this. We should've grown up with our families and live in a proper home without worry for infected or bandits."

"But we might've never met if that happened."

"True."

"Ugh, where am I? Daniel? Ellie?" Michelle stirred.

"We're here," I replied, "How are you feeling?"

"Fucking cold," she replied shivering.

"You've got hypothermia," Ellie stated as she prodded the beans with a fork, "You hungry?"

"Starving," she said as she stood up.

"You've been unconscious for a few hours."

"No shit. I was awake the whole time."

We chuckled at the teen's remark despite the seriousness of her condition.

"Here," Ellie cupped the can of beans in her gloved hands and passed them to Michelle, "you can have the first bit."


	24. Chapter 23

Michelle and Ellie slept as I stood guard. Every few minutes I checked on the firefly. She was going ok. Still shivering but she wasn't drifting in and out of consciousness anymore. I stood over a hole in the wall looking over the snow covered streets below. I noticed some tracks in the snow, probably a deer. Before long I heard a truck coming down the road.

"Ellie," I shook her, "C'mon, someone's coming down the road."

"Who?" She replied still half asleep.

"I don't know. Get Michelle up and get our shit together while I go check."

I returned to the window and saw the a Humvee coming down the road. It stopped outside the entrance to the building and to familiar people exited it.

"It's the cannibals. Ell are you sure that stash was abandoned."

"Yeah, it looked like it. And I thought you killed those fuckers."

"Where the fuck is all of our shit!" Jack yelled.

"Hide!" I whispered urgently as I crawled under a desk shortly before the cannibals burst into the room.

"I know you're in here! Come out and I'll promise to make it quick."

I looked over to Ellie and Michelle, who were hiding under another desk, and saw the worry on their faces.

"Are you under this desk?" The cannibal plunged a machete with a curved blade through the wood of the desk barley missing me.

"My kukri's thirsty."

I picked up a glass bottle and threw it through an open door that led nowhere.

"Not very quiet, are you?"

He and Kyle ran out of the room to investigate the noise as I crawled out from under the desk.

"C'mon, time to ditch this place," I whispered as I crouched walked towards the door that we originally entered from.

We made it outside with out being detected and stood next to the military vehicle. I opened the driver's door and checked the ignition for keys.

"Shit," I cursed, "There goes the easy way of getting home."

I shut the door with a loud bang followed shortly by a rifle shot.

"Think you're gonna steal my truck!" Jack yelled from the hole in the wall, "Good fucking luck!"

Ellie took a couple of pot shots, "Well fuck you too!"

"Keep 'em distracted," I said as I shouldered my rifle and crawled under the truck.

I pointed my rifle up at the hole in the wall and saw Kyle shooting a shotgun at us. I put his head in the crosshairs and squeezed the trigger. The mute's dead body fell from the building landing meters in font of me.

"You firefly bastards!" Jack yelled.

"We're not all fireflies," I replied as I cycled the bolt.

Michelle cried in pain as another rifle shot sounded. I placed my sights where he popped up and took the shot from. He stood up into my scope and I pulled the trigger.

"Daniel," Ellie called called.

"Shit," I ran over to her who had dragged the firefly behind the truck, "Shit, shit, shit, shit."

I saw a trail of blood from where she was lying and where she was shot. I looked at her wound which was located in her chest area and noticed a tear come down her face as she reached for her pendant.

"No, no, no, you're gonna be fine," I said worriedly as I pressed my hands onto her wound hoping to stop the blood oozing out of her while an exchange of gunfire sounded behind me, "You're gonna be fine."

She moved my hands off her and firmly placed the firefly pendant in my hand, "Don't do this to me, Michelle, Don't do this, C'mon."

Her grip loosened and her hands fell onto her chest, "No, no, no, no. This can't be happening."

"Michelle?" I asked quietly as I looked at her glazed eyes which were staring at the stars overhead.

I looked at the back of the pendant that read Michelle Malcom 000394. I slipped a hand in her pocket and found a diary with the firefly insignia on it. I opened the front page and saw a sketch of a family tree. At the top was a 20ish year old woman with blonde hair and brown eyes, below her picture her name was written, Courtney. Next to her was dad and another woman. Off them there was Michelle and next to her was a rectangular box with a name below it. Daniel.

"Oh, shit," I exclaimed as tears formed in my eyes, "Why didn't you tell me sis?"

I stood up and headed back into the building anger flowing through my body.

"Where are you going."

"To make sure that fucker is dead."


	25. Chapter 24

I reached the room where Jack and Kyle were firing on us. There was a trail of blood from where I shot Jack to a wall where he was leaning.

"Come to finish your job eh?"

"And I'm gonna do it right this time."

"You seem a bit pissed. Did I get your firefly."

"No, you killed my half sister."

He started laughing uncontrollably, "Sick bastard," I said before shooting him twice in the head.

"Try coming back from that asshole."

I returned out side to find Ellie standing over the firefly's corpse, "What do want to do with her?" She asked.

"I want to find a nice peaceful meadow and bury her."

"Okay, You know that I cant carry her."

"C'mon," I said as I picked up her lifeless body.

We found a park not too far away with tents pitched up on one side of it and a forested area on the other.

"This'll have to do," I said before placing Michelle on the ground, "Ellie?"

I looked around for her but there was no sign of her, "Ellie?" I repeated louder.

"I'm right here," She appeared behind me holding a small entrenching tool, "Just looking around for something to dig with."

I grabbed the shovel and started digging in between two oak trees with Ellie watching me plunging it into the white snow. Eventually the grave was deep enough and we lowered the firefly's corpse into it.

"Good bye Michelle," I muttered as I started filling in the grave, "I'm sorry you were dragged into this."

"Hey, its not your fault."

"How? How is it not my fault? I let her come with us. I couldn't stop her bleeding."

"And I convinced you to let her come, and you weren't the one who shot her."

"She was my little sister," I felt a tear run down my face as I marked the head of the grave with the shovel and tied her armband to it, "She was my responsibility."

"It's ok," Ellie drew me close to her, "Shit happens."

"Ellie."

"Yes."

"Don't leave me."

"I remember promising not to," we stood there embracing each other for what seemed like an eternity, "C'mon, we're gonna freeze out here."


	26. Chapter 25

I carried a bow that Ellie found as I trudged through the snow covered streets. My stomach rumbled as I came to a stop in front of the Dallas Zoo for what seemed the millionth time. It has been a few weeks since Michelle passed and having eaten the remainder of the food, Ellie and I were struggling to cope with the harsh winter. The only place we found food was here and we agreed never to go back to the cannibal's hideout.

"So," I said as I jumped a barricade made of desks and vending machines , "Are you gonna give us something today?"

I clambered over more barricades and glanced at statue of a herd of elephants before continuing into the zoo. I somehow managed to spot a squirrel scurry up a nearby tree and stood on a branch. I pulled the bow's string back and placed the sight on it before releasing an arrow towards it. A gust of wind picked up and blew the projectile into the tree.

"Shit," I exclaimed as the rodent disappeared and I headed to the tree to try and reclaim my arrow.

To my annoyance the tree was sitting in a lowered courtyard surrounded by enclosures, the arrow out of reach and I didn't want to risk breaking something trying to climb it. So a drew another arrow and slotted it onto the string making sure it was aligned properly before continuing.

After half an hour of wandering the ruins I reached the last area I hadn't checked. I looked down at the ground and saw a couple of sets of rabbit tracks. Seemed like it or they used this path often. I checked my watch which read about midday and Ellie wasn't expecting back for another couple of hours so I decided to wait it out behind a nearby hedge.

An hour or so later a snow white rabbit trotted down the exact path made by its tracks. Quickly I shot it with the bow staining the snow with its blood. I withdrew the arrow and slotted it back in its quiver before examining my kill.

"You're not gonna last long," I said before tying it to the side of my bag, "Better than nothing I guess."

I headed back towards the exit when I saw that the squirrel had returned to the same spot on the tree above me. I fired another arrow at it which again missed by centimetres landing on the roof of a building a short distant away.

"Fuck you too, arrow wasting bastard."

Leaving the zoo behind I retraced my steps back to where Ellie and I were sitting out the last month or so of the snow.


	27. Chapter 26

It was dark by the time I reached the hotel room we were staying. Ellie was asleep on the couch so I gently kissed her forehead before proceeding to a bench and skinning the rabbit. After skinning and gutting the creature I wiped its blood of the bench and arrow.

"I see someone's back from a successful hunt," Ellie stirred.

"Yeah, a rabbit."

"I can see that," she sat up weary eyed, "What time is it?"

"Bout seven."

"You're late."

"Yeah I know but it was worth it."

"Guess I can forgive you with that one. Still worried the shit out of me."

"I'm surprised you didn't come after me."

"I know how you hunt, you see some tracks you just have to wait and see if something comes down it."

"And I've seen you sit outside a rabbit hole," I replied as I drew her close.

She laughed before replying, "Not wrong-"

A crash sounded downstairs preventing Ellie from finishing her sentence, "What the fuck was that?" She questioned.

"Probably infected. C'mon."

We crept downstairs, glancing down each hallway every level we went down. There was nothing until re reached the ground floor and standing in the doorway was a small deer.

"Shit," I exclaimed before realizing I'll probably scare it, "Ellie, do you have the bow?"

"No, just shoot it. Don't risk it."

Quickly I popped a couple of rounds into its head and it fell to the ground wounded.

"That'll last a while," I said before holstering the pistol and drawing my knife.

"Poor thing," Ellie stated her usually upbeat mood dampened, "But I suppose we gotta eat something."

I crouched over it and slit its throat ending its suffering. I then picked it up and started heading back upstairs, "C'mon, I'm hungry."


	28. Chapter 27

"At least its actual deer this time," Ellie said as she dug into the meat.

"Please don't remind me, Ell."

"Sorry, I should ha-"

"It's ok. Don't sweat it."

"No, no, I-"

"Don't worry, Ell."

"I never apologized for running off like without telling you. So, I'm sorry."

"Oh, Ellie," I said as I put down the empty bowl and hugged her tightly, "I forgive you. I should've told you what actually happened at the hospital sooner."

"So are you going to tell me what happened in Vegas?"

"Very well, I opened the door into the room and seeing a bone saw at your head my instincts took over. It was all a blur at the time, all I remember was demanding the surgeons to hand you over while a group of fireflies ran down the hallway. One grabbed me and I pulled the pin of a grenade I found and dropped it. Then I picked you up and dad just let me leave."

"He done that?"

"Yeah, surprised me, more than getting out of the grenade unscathed."

"Wonder what John's doing."

"Probably missing us, spending time with Joel."

"Yeah, I miss the poor kid. Love him to death."

"So do I. I love you both to death."

"I know that."

"I feel I'm following the same path as my father."

"Why's that."

"Well you know, how he left me at a young age and disappeared only leaving me a knife."

"No, you're not. You didn't leave John at an orphanage and you had no intention of leaving him. I bet you thought that you would be gone a month or so but here we are six months later in this frozen shit hole. Robert, your father, told me that he left you because he wanted to 'find the light' and help bring an end to the pandemic that has ravaged the world. He said that he changed when your mum died and he never really cared about you and that knife," she pulled the weapon out of its sheath, "was his way of apologizing."

"Some reason, I'm not surprised by that. Probably one of the reasons why I was I bit aggressive when he showed up at the dam and in Vegas."

"None of that's on you though, you've got your reasons. First off you hadn't seen him in nearly two decades and then he disappears again after convincing me to go with him."

"Ellie, thank you for telling me this."

"Anything, Dan, anything," she replied before kissing me.


	29. Chapter 28

The next day Ellie slept on the couch while I had another look around the hotel. The rooms on the floor we were in had been ransacked already so I went from room to room on the floors below with no luck. Eventually I reached the ground floor and entered the restaurant. Booths lined every wall and large circular tables with their cloths stained brown. On the other side of the room was a stage with a grand piano on it.

I remembered one time when one of my old friends taught me how to play one at the orphanage in Pittsburgh, her slender fingers pushing mine onto the keys. It was so long ago I can't even remember her name, just her touch and her turning. I opened the lid and sat on the stool which was miraculously still there after thirty years. I just started pressing keys in no particular order before standing back up and placing everything back to where I found it.

I continued towards the shining kitchen and finally into the flooded basement. Mounted on a wall there was a diamond patterned shelf with bottles occasionally poking out of it. I waded through the freezing water and pulled one of the bottles and wiped the dust off the label and read the only eligible word, Merlot 1934. The bottled weighed too much to be empty so I decided to return to the room with it.

"What's that?" Ellie asked as I walked into the hotel room.

"A bottle of wine, I think."

"Really? Where'd you find it."

"Down in the basement."

"Well, have you at least tasted it?"

"No, thought you would want to," I used my knife to pry the cork out.

"You found it."

"Very well," I said before taking a mouthful of the red liquid and spitting half of it out, "Pfft, that tastes ancient."

Ellie let out a small giggle as I passed the bottle to her while I tried to rinse my mouth out with half frozen water.

"Really, I kinda like it."

"You can have it."

"I'm not drinking it all my self, and hundred year old wine doesn't come around often."

"Who said you had to drink it all now?"

"I'm saying we should drink it. You know, get pissed and have a good time for once."

"Ok, I'll bite," I said before forcing my self to swallow another mouthful, "Might take some getting used to."

Before I knew it the bottle was empty on the floor and Ellie had fallen asleep next to it. I gently picked her up and laid her down on the couch before lying on the ground, using my bag as a pillow.


	30. Chapter 29

"Holy shit, Joel!" Ellie shouted as we started running towards the group of horses down the road.

"Ellie, Daniel?" The aging man replied, "What in the goddam are you doing out here?"

"Could ask you the same thing, old man," I replied.

Before he replied Ellie jumped on top of me shouting my name, "Daniel, wake up you've gotta fucking see this!"

I sat up picking out sleep from my eyes, "What is it?" I asked wearily.

"She's alive, Michelle's fucking alive."

"No, she can't be…"

"Hello brother," The blond haired firefly said standing in the doorway her chest stained blood red and dirt covering her body.

"No."

"Well I can't stop you, all I wanted was a cure," now I was standing above another firefly, my father, with a gun in my hand who was on the ground holding his bleeding gut.

"What the hell is happening?"

"You're so up yourself you don't even know what's going on."

I turned around and instead of a gun I had a ladder and a stalker jumped out of nowhere sinking its teeth into my left arm. This was all to familiar.

"You right?" A younger Ellie called.

 _Goddammit. Why am I here Daniel?_

I felt the warmth of a fire as Joel and I embraced a blood splattered Ellie in a burning restaurant with a machete ledged in a corpse nearby, "Oh baby girl," Joel whispered to her.

Suddenly a burning pain seared across my head as I crouched behind a desk in a small office, "Maria!", I think Tommy yelled shortly after.

 _Why?_

"Who the fuck are you?" Ellie pointed a pistol at me as I stumbled through a doorway. I glanced up and saw the corpses of two recently dead brothers.

 _Ellie._

I blinked and was in darkness unable to see anything, "Go to hell."

 _Lachlan?_

Two gunshots sounded along with a scream of pain.

"I want the last thing you see to be my face."

Another shot went off as Ellie shook me vigorously, "Daniel, wake up you've gotta fucking see this."

"Holy shit, Joel!" Ellie shouted as we started running towards the group of horses down the road.

"Ellie, Daniel?" The aging man replied, "What in the goddam are you doing out here?"

"Could ask you the same thing, old man," I replied.

Before he replied Ellie jumped on top of me shouting my name, "Daniel, wake up you've gotta fucking see this!"

I sat up picking out sleep from my eyes, "What is it?" I asked wearily.

"She's alive, Michelle's fucking alive."

"No, she can't be…"

"Hello brother," The blond haired firefly said standing in the doorway her chest stained blood red and dirt covering her body.

"No."

"Well I can't stop you, all I wanted was a cure," now I was standing above another firefly, my father, with a gun in my hand who was on the ground holding his bleeding gut.

"What the hell is happening?"

"You're so up yourself you don't even know what's going on."

I turned around and instead of a gun I had a ladder and a stalker jumped out of nowhere sinking its teeth into my left arm. This was all to familiar.

"You right?" A younger Ellie called.

 _Goddammit. Why am I here Daniel?_

I felt the warmth of a fire as Joel and I embraced a blood splattered Ellie in a burning restaurant with a machete ledged in a corpse nearby, "Oh baby girl," Joel whispered to her.

Suddenly a burning pain seared across my head as I crouched behind a desk in a small office, "Maria!", I think Tommy yelled shortly after.

 _Why?_

"Who the fuck are you?" Ellie pointed a pistol at me as I stumbled through a doorway. I glanced up and saw the corpses of two recently dead brothers.

 _Ellie._

I blinked and was in darkness unable to see anything, "Go to hell."

 _Lachlan?_

Two gunshots sounded along with a scream of pain.

"I want the last thing you see to be my face."

Another shot went off as Ellie shook me vigorously, "Daniel, wake up you've gotta fucking see this."


	31. Chapter 30

"What is it, Ell?" I asked seeing her exited eyes.

"C'mon, you won't believe me if I explain it."

She pulled me off the couch I was lying on and threw my bag at me, "We're getting outta here," she said before dragging me out the door and down the hallway.

"Ellie, where are we going?"

"Home, we're going home."

"Home, we can't walk through this snow. Not to mention there's probably not much shelter either."

She pulled me out the hotel's main entrance before pointing down the road and saying, "Well they got here."

"Ellie wait," I called as she started running towards a trio of horses two of which were mounted.

"Joel, Lucas," she called.

"Ellie?" The old, familiar voice replied, "What in the goddam are you doing here?"

"Holy shit."

"Could ask you the same thing," She replied.

"Where's the horse?" Lucas asked me as I approached.

"Dead. Killed in the tunnel in Salt Lake City by a clicker."

"So that's two you owe Tommy."

"Yep, he'll probably shoot me, so why are you here."

"Remember those fireflies that showed up at the dam a while back? Well they showed up again asking about your whereabouts. We didn't know so they vanished again. A month or so later Bradly and I went scavenging in Jackson and he 'accidently' gets shot by a firefly. They've been there ever since shooting at anybody who comes close."

"Bet my father's behind it," I felt a surge of anger flow through my body, "he let me leave Vegas a bit too easily. Not to mention Michelle."

"Michelle?"

"A firefly who gave up looking."

Ellie put her arm over my shoulder as I mentioned my half-sister.

"So did you find anything here?"

"Yeah, a few rifles, a shotgun, all with plenty of ammo, found an ok amount of food and clothes. All in all not a bad trip," Joel replied, "Not to mention a couple of dead guys in an office with a dead Humvee outside. Something tells me you two had something to do with that."

"Yeah."

"Gotta spare ride?" I asked.

"Yeah, Phil bought it a couple of days ago."

"Infected?"

"Yeah, bugger didn't tell us," Lucas said as I mounted the horse behind Ellie who took the rains.

"We good to go?" Joel asked us.

"Yeah, lets get out of this fucking place," Ellie replied.


	32. Part 4: Chapter 31

**Part 4: Spring**

The snow had turned to rain by the time we made it back to a hill overlooking the dam.

"Never thought I'd see this place again," I stated as I pulled back on the reigns.

"Makes sense," Lucas replied, "It was harsh this year."

"Not wrong."

"C'mon," Joel's deep supportive voice said as he rode down the hill, "Better not keep 'em waitin'."

We continued after him and a few minutes later we were at the main entrance.

"Oi!" Lucas yelled as he slammed the gate, "Open up."

"Tommy!" Ellie pounced on the greying man as he stepped through the open entrance, "Where's John?"

"He's with Maria sweetie. Their on their way."

"Mum, Dad!"

"John," Ellie and I yelled as we ran to the young boy.

"God, I've missed you so much kiddo," I said with a tear streaking down my face.

"I've missed you too."

"Looks like you four could use some rest," an ageing Maria said, "good to have you back."

"It's good to be back," Ellie replied before yawning, "ugh, tired."

"Why don't you head home while I'll help Joel and Lucas with the horses?"

"Okay, I'll do that. Give me your stuff."

I gave her my bag before she led John towards our home in the nearby town.

"Oh, you're back," A young thirteen year old said as I coaxed a horse into the stables, "I thought you two were dead."

"And who gave you that idea Jessi?"

"Who says anybody gave it to me."

"Why am I not surprised you didn't say that?" I asked sarcastically as I handed the lead to her.

"This is the horse Phil took," She noted as she tied it to a post, "Guess he didn't make it."

"I never knew him. Think Ellie did though."

"Look, it doesn't matter, people die everyday in this world, infected, starvation, each other. Shit happens."

As she finished a two way radio set up on a shelf buzzed, "Hey guys, we got fireflies. A lot of 'em."


	33. Chapter 32

"You fucking lied to me!" I yelled as I reached the top of the wall, "You let me go!"

"I told you that I left you to find a cure. Ten years ago we were so close. So close. Then that bastard comes along and steals it," he pointed up at Joel who had a rifle trained on him, "We were so close and he couldn't let the dam girl go. Then I get another chance, but no, you decide to come along and just like the old man, you take her."

"You can't blame me. Or him. You don't know what we've been through."

"And you don't know what I've been through. I was in Boston when the military finally cracked down on us. I escorted Marlene across the country. I watched as good friends died around me. Then everything went to shit at Salt Lake. It took us months to recover."

"It took us nearly a year to get back."

"This has gone on long enough," Tommy shouted, "If I were you I'd leave before another accident happened."

"You stay out of this."

Tommy loaded a round into the chamber of his rifle, "leave."

"Fine," he glared his eyes at me, "You have a week. Meet me at the state university. And bring the girl. Or we'll take her."

He left without another word as the others lowered their rifles.

"They must have scouts somewhere," Tommy said, "They knew that you were here the second you got back."

"How long have they been here?" I turned to him.

"Uh, start of September."

"Fuck, I found Ellie in the end of August."

"So what are we going to do with them?"

"We fight," Joel replied, "like we always have."

"No," I stopped him, "He's my father, my problem. I'll deal with him."


	34. Chapter 33

"No, I will not let you give yourself up like that."

"Ellie, its either me or the entire settlement."

"Why should I let you go when you came after me."

"But this time we're all the ones at risk. If I don't do something those fireflies are going to kill us."

"Why you, not me. We're immune and there's probably others."

"And how many decide not to kill themselves. Ellie, you've gotta trust me."

"I do but, I don't want to lose you. I've already lost so much."

"We all have."

"I know, but you and Joel, what we've been through. I know the old man's on his last legs and he doesn't need another kid running around the house."

"Wait," I replied stunned, "What did you say?"

"Yeah, you heard me Dan. I won't be able to handle two of the buggers on my own. I need you. They'll need you."

"I'll take Lucas with me. See if I can explain to them that there are others and they just have to look harder. If dad truly cares about me, he'll let us go and look elsewhere."

"Can't Tommy do it?"

"They'd just shoot him. I've gotta be there."

"Fine go," she turned away from me and looked out of a window, "Just come back safe."

"I will."


	35. Chapter 34

"We ready?" Lucas asked as I entered the stables.

"Yeah," I replied before placing a saddle on a horse, "Jess out?"

"Yes, it's her sisters shift."

"Very well."

A couple of hours later we were riding down the road, through a small suburb, towards the city. A screech came from one of the buildings.

"I thought we cleared out this area of town," I stated.

"We did," Lucas replied, "Probably a small group of fireflies or raiders."

"Should we check it out?"

"Somebody's gotta," He stopped the horse and tied it to a lamp post before taking his bow of his shoulder, "May as well be us."

I followed him also taking my knife out of its sheath. We cleared out the upper floors of the house of runners and stalkers a couple with firefly armbands and others wearing normal clothes. We reunited at the door to the basement and he turned to face me.

"Probably more down there," He whispered.

"Probably a shit ton of spores."

"I don't have my mask, you?"

"Don't need it, remember?"

"Right, I'll be here."

I opened the door and started descending into the dark room. I tripped on something in the darkness. I looked down and discovered that it was a rotting runner with my foot in its chest.

"Fuck, that's gonna be a pain to clean."

I continued my search but found nothing, so I opened some of the ceiling windows to disperse the spores before returning upstairs.

"Anything?" Lucas asked as I inspected my boot.

"Just the culprit."

"Wonder why there were fireflies."

"Who knows? I bet they only realised that the spores where there until it was too late."

"Better them than us. C'mon."


	36. Chapter 35

The university was completely different from when Joel and I found it a few years ago. Instead of an open gate there were sandbags blocking half of the main gate with an old wooden plank and firefly standing at the top of it. We approached her with our weapons holstered.

"Hold it," She called as she pointed her rifle our way, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I think you know," I replied, "Aren't you expecting someone?"

"Not two men, now if you don't tell me what you're doing here I'll blow your fucking head off."

"We're here for Robert. We just want to talk."

"Hang on a minute."

She kept an eye on us while she talked over a radio too quiet for us to hear what they were saying. Not long after she finished more Fireflies showed up next to her and along the road ahead of us as well. I put a hand in the pocket which carried my 9mm and held it tightly.

"You can come," A firefly came up to us and pointed his pistol at me, "He stays."

"Very well," Lucas said as I loosened my grip on the gun, "I'll see you when you come back I guess."

"Not like we have a choice."

"Follow me."

He lead me through a nearby door through the wall and into the main complex with a large number of fireflies around massive tents and the campus buildings. We entered one of the buildings which appeared to be former dormitories converted into a barracks.

"Why are we even letting him in?" I heard a firefly ask quietly to another, "Doesn't anyone remember what happened in Vegas?"

"He has the cure," The other replied, "Or at least he knows where it is."

Eventually the firefly I was following stood outside a guarded office. "Inside, take a seat."

I done so and the firefly stepped back outside and locked the door behind him.

"So, where's our donor?" Dad asked as the door opened again.

"She's not a donor."

"Well in the worlds eyes she is," he sat down in the chair opposite me and rested his feet on the table. "She's the cure the worlds been waiting patiently for thirty years. So, where, is, she? "

"Where she belongs, at home with her family."

"I told you to bring her to me, or we'd take her ourselves."

"Why can't you just fuck off and leave us alone?"

"This is all I've worked on for my entire life!" He yelled as if I was a child who was caught stealing from the cookie jar. "I wanted you to live in a world like the one I grew up in. I still do."

"Really? Then why threaten me, my friends and my family? They've done more for me than you ever have."

"I'm' trying to give you the life I lost all those years ago."

"Well it's too late for that know isn't it. Now get the fuck away from our dam."


	37. Chapter 36

He flew into a rage.

He yelled his head off at me, almost screaming, it sounded like his voice ripped at his throat. I just sat there staring, not bothering to take any of it in.

Until he pulled the gun out.

"What makes you think you can say that to me?" He yelled pointing the weapon at me, "Your own goddam father!"

I struggled to keep my self calm, rage trying to break free and take over my actions.

"You just don't get it," I was surprised with the calmness in my voice, "Do you have any idea what I've been through?"

He just stared gun still pointed at my chest, as if he wanted me to tell him the answer and I did. I told him everything that I could remember from the past twenty years. The school, the hunters, Lachlan's death, meeting Joel and Ellie.

Everything.

Yet that still didn't take the look of rage out of his dark eyes or calm his quickened breathing. I wasn't even sure if he was listening to me. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, staring at the silvery metal pistol hoping it wouldn't go off.

Still staring, still pointing, still hoping.

A minute passed, then another. It felt like that we'd stand there for the rest of our lives un less one of us done something.

I thrusted my hand out for the gun and pushed towards the ceiling a shot going off as I done so. It scrapped across my temple where I'd had a close call previously. Another couple of shots exploded from the weapon and flew into the ceiling above. With my free hand I pried his fingers apart trying to get hold of it myself and get the hell out. I could hear someone trying to get inside.

I somehow ended up with the gun in my hands when the door finally opened, lock shot off, a pair of armed fireflies charged in, one was the guy who led me to the office.

"Let him go," He ordered as he held up a radio in one hand and a revolver in the other, "Or your friend out there dies."


	38. Chapter 37

That done it. I couldn't take it any more.

I let my anger flow through me like it had a mind of its own. First I shot the guy who spoke then his companion, both dead before they hit the ground blood oozing from their faces.

"No," Dad screamed as he reached out at me, trying to stop the inevitable. I shot him in the gut taking a few steps away from him as he doubled over in front of me, clutching his stomach.

"Why'd you do this?" He asked as he looked up at me, pain strewn across his face, "Why'd you ruin everything?"

"I didn't, you did."

"All I wanted was a cure," He said tears forming in his eyes. I shot him,

Then I ran, harder than I'd ever ran before. I'd just wanted to go home. Get away from the mess I had created. It was a blur of hallways and gunshots and yells. A tiny waterfall of blood flowing down the side of my face.

But I just kept running.

I charged through the double doors that lead back outside hopefully to where Lucas would be waiting for me, if they hadn't killed him yet. After what felt like a decade of running I made it back to the barricaded gate, someone grabbed me, I kept trying to break free from their strong grip.

"Dan, its me, calm down," It was Joel, "We're here."

I stopped struggling and I noticed that Tommy and Ellie were there as well. Then it hit me.

"Lucas," I said panic sneaking into my voice, "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, he'll live," Maria said somewhere off to my left, "He's been shot and he passed out."

"Shit," Ellie exclaimed as she ran to me and wiped the trickle of blood off my face, "What happened in there?"

"I killed him. I killed him like an animal."


	39. Epilogue

I watched as the settlement's kids ran around and shot at each other with water. I'd just gotten back from the city scavenging with another settler and I was leaning against the large door frame to the stables.

"So, your back," Ellie stood beside me and linked her hands around my waist, "How'd it go?"

"It went fine," I replied, "Even snagged a small deer on the way back."

"That's nice," she replied before looking at the kids, "I'm half surprised your not out there with them."

"Yeah."

"Hey," She said gazing into my eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"Really, you're gonna try that on me? After how long I've known you?"

"I just need some time Ellie. I nearly got us all killed."

"No, you didn't-you."

"I lost it Ellie," I shouted cutting her off, "I fucking lost my shit!"

"You did what you had to. And I know its hard, I'd of all people would know."

"I just don't know what to do anymore," I almost sobbed, "Sometimes its just too much. I probably wouldn't be here anymore if I'd never have found you."

"Same here Dan, same here. C'mon I wanna soak a few kids."

* * *

 **Hey guys. Sorry it took so long to get the last couple of parts out my ideas ran dry for a while. Anyway thanks for those who read the entire thing and Not Alone. It means a lot to me as seeing people actually reading my work makes me feel good inside and that I'm entertaining. If you guys have any ideas for what I should write next, I'll do _The Last of Us, Halo, Fallout_** **primarily but I'll take a look.**


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